Yesterday the team took a bus from Helsinki to Kuopio. The six hour drive was filled with networking, games and laughter. In the back of everyone’s mind was whether or not they would have to use the onboard toilet or if they would be able to wait for one of two stops along the route.
One man waited as long as he could and finally entered the very small closet like restroom. A few moments later, the bus took a hard left turn. I heard a shout followed by a thud.
Silence.
A minute later, the door slowly opened and a head peered out, glancing around to see if anyone was looking. With all eyes on the man, he said, “That was challenging.” Laughter broke out as the bus pulled into a truck stop that very moment.
Several other peculiar and humorous things transpired, encouraged by the various forms of jet lag from our international team. Everyone seemed susceptible to uncontrollable laughter or instant naps that snuck up without notice.
We arrived at our chalet and I quickly changed into my running clothes in hopes of stretching from the long bus ride. Four of us decided to run up the ski slope, but found ourselves walking or climbing the steep slope after the first 100 yards. My heart was pounding and I was sucking more air than I thought my lungs could hold. I had a new respect for Walter Payton who ran up hills (at a lower altitude) regularly during his workouts.
The view was amazing at the top of the slopes. The beauty was beyond what I had ever seen. Hundreds of lakes with hundreds of islands were in view and the air was crystal clear, giving view for miles. It was definitely a place where God spent time and I chose to do the same as I took in the beauty.
The way down was treacherous as we picked a black slope for our descent. A Frenchman selected the path for us – Chosen for adventure not safety. Loose rocks gave way under my feet and I slide down twenty yards before coming to a stop. Thankfully I stayed on my feet during the rapid descent. My heart pounded once again, but this time for the adventure.
Later that night, we went to dinner and took time networking with new people. The meal lasted four hours and we finished dessert around 11:00 pm. It was still light outside as we walked back to the chalet. The sun finally went down around 11:30 pm, only to rise again at 3:00 am. With sunlight pouring into my room, I gave up trying to sleep.
The meetings went well today, although many nodded off. Having jet lag in the northern mountains has been a new experience for me. I should adjust by the time I head home. We’ll soon be off for dinner and a team building experience, so I need to bring this entry to a close. So far I’ve met people from seven different countries and started to make arrangements to pay a few of them a visit in the coming months.
Tuesday is winding down nicely.
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